Jack Hiatt - Playing Career

Playing Career

Hiatt played the catcher position for 312 games, but was also called upon to play first base for 70 games and went into the outfield for 2.

At the beginning of the 1969 San Francisco Giants season, the starting catcher job was won by Dick Dietz. However, when a foul tip bruised his right hand, Hiatt took over the role as starter and made an almost immediate impact. In his first six games after taking over the starting role, Hiatt had four home runs and 13 runs batted in. Hiatt was quoted as saying during the stretch, "It really makes a difference when you know you're going to play again every day. It used to be that if I didn't have a good game, I wouldn't be in the lineup the next game unless somebody was hurt." He gave credit to his hitting coach, Hank Sauer, for the remarkable stretch. Hiatt noted that all of his home runs came on outside corner fastballs. "It's a pitch I'd been taking until Sauer suggested that I swing at it."

On April 24, Hiatt hit his first home run of the season off Atlanta Braves pitcher Milt Pappas, an opposite field 360-foot shot that also drove in Willie McCovey. The next day, April 25, Hiatt had a mammoth performance against the Houston Astros, hitting two home runs and driving in seven runs. In the 1st inning, Jack homered off Astros starter Denny Lemaster to drive in teammate Willie Mays. In the 8th inning, he roped a single to left to score Bobby Bonds from third base. In the bottom of the 13th inning, Hiatt dramatically hit a walk-off grand slam off Astros pitcher Dan Schneider to end the game.

Hiatt received praise from Giants manager Clyde King in regards to his defensive efforts. "We had a game in Cincinnati where Hiatt made six tremendous stops of pitches in the dirt." He added, "He kept us in the game all night."

Despite the hot start, Hiatt's offensive production faded and he finished the season with a .196 batting average.